By Deborah Nnamdi
In response to the growing challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and youth unemployment in West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission has approved multimillion-dollar grants to support the establishment of training centres focused on Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA). These centres aim to equip young people with the skills needed to build sustainable agribusinesses.
Dr. Gle Koffi Emmanuel, Chairman of the Regional Steering Committee for EOA and representative of the ECOWAS Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, announced the launch of the inception workshops in Lagos. The events were organised in collaboration with the West African Secretariat of Ecological Organic Agriculture (WASEOA) and the EOA Regional Steering Committee.
Dr. Emmanuel described the workshops as a crucial step in transforming the agrosylvo-pastoral and halieutic (ASPH) sector into a driver of inclusive growth and meaningful employment for West Africa’s youth. He highlighted the region’s demographic reality—over 60% of the population is under 30—as both a challenge and a unique opportunity for innovation and transformation.
“Despite this demographic advantage, youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, affecting more than 75% of those entering the workforce. The sector struggles with low productivity, rigid farming systems, and limited appeal to young people,” he said.
To address these issues, ECOWAS is working to reform production and operational systems in the ASPH sector to make them more attractive, profitable, and resilient. This includes improving working conditions, boosting incomes, and enhancing the status of agricultural careers in society.
Under ECOWAS leadership, several strategic policies are being implemented to ensure decent jobs for youth, strengthen family farms, and encourage young entrepreneurs. Among these initiatives are two priority investment programs aimed at enhancing youth employability in the ASPH sector and promoting local milk value chains across the region.
Dr. Emmanuel revealed that ECOWAS has allocated $2.24 million to train 3,850 youths in ASPH-related sectors under the first program. Of this amount, $594,000 has been awarded to WASEOA to support the training of at least 1,270 youths (40% of whom will be women), in collaboration with Songhai Centre and CORAF.
“Ecological Organic Agriculture goes beyond farming practices; it’s a movement grounded in environmental stewardship, cultural knowledge, and human well-being. In the face of climate change and food insecurity, EOA offers sustainable, inclusive solutions,” he stated.
In his welcome remarks, Jude Obi, President of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), emphasised NOAN’s role as a key stakeholder in Nigeria’s organic agriculture value chain. He noted that the African Union Commission, EOA Initiative (EOA-i), and regional partners recognised NOAN’s contributions and formalised its role as the WASEOA lead in West Africa through a Memorandum of Understanding with ECOWAS.
Obi said the MoU authorizes WASEOA to sub-grant funds to nine organizations across Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, enabling the training of 1,270 youths, with a focus on empowering women.
He further explained that ECOWAS has adopted multiple strategies to integrate youth into the workforce, particularly within the ASPH sector. These include promoting education and training in agri-food systems, creating enabling environments for youth-led enterprises, and supporting youth engagement in agricultural value chains.
The regional strategy aims to employ at least 25% of young job seekers annually in the ASPH and food sectors, significantly reduce youth unemployment and underemployment, and curb irregular youth migration.
